Lords of darkness
by deltakid4
Summary: An Overlord AU. Four friends who've forged a brotherhood through their adventures in the game YGGDRASIL ,are the last remaining members of the guild. on the last day they decide to log in one final time. When time runs out the four finds themselves stuck in a new world. Separated from the problems of their old lives how will they choose to live their new ones?
1. Prologue

**I don't own Overlord only my OCs. updated 03/10/2019**

Prologue

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 _The struggle for dominance is endless and inescapable. Supremacy is the goal of every living creature in this world. They will kill and die for their kind to rule. Some call this eternal conflict equilibrium, the balance between good and_ evil. _A never-ending war that will continue till the end of time._

A group of seven people dawned in cloaks marched through an abandoned village. Once they arrived at their destination they looked up at a dreary sky over the now lifeless Carne village. Ever since the Lycans had occupied the nearby forest, most of the inhabitants had all but fled. The group stood before the exterior of the cathedral. It had stood here for years as a symbol of unwavering faith but now it was a mere shadow of its former self.

Suddenly a blood-curdling growl alerted the seven individuals. Each of them drew a weapon ready for the incoming assault. From inside the abandoned houses, rabid Lycans emerged. The pack of beast quickly surrounded the group of hooded individuals. They stood on hind legs, towering over every member of the group. Eyes filled with hunger as their mouths foamed up. Both parties stared each other down, the conflict was imminent.

Then the two sides clashed in a mix between razor-sharp claws and forged weaponry. The tide of the battle was one-sided as the seven dispatched the lycans with ease. After cutting off limbs, blocking slashes and several decapitations the party stood victorious as lycanthrope bodies littered the soil all around them. For a moment, they believed themselves to be done when they heard a scrambling noise. They spotted another lycan taking off in the opposite direction.

The cloaked figure armed with a bow drew two silver tipped arrows and fired at the fleeing beast. With incredible accuracy the first arrow penetrated the lycans hide and piercing its lower back. The creature released a quick yelp before the second arrow made contact. The projectile pierced through the back of the beast's skull, causing the arrowhead to protrude between its eyes. Which ended its feral existence. They examined the remains of the dead creatures. Their hairy frames were unusually skinny. As their ribcage and hip bones were completely visible. They must have been a pack of weaker lycans who were on their last legs. Cast out for whatever reason. With the lycans taken care of, they proceeded with their mission.

One by one the entered the church. Inside they were quite surprised to see recently lit candles decorating the interior. A set of candles surrounded a damaged portrait of the village's founder, Thomas Carne. They paid little mind to it focusing on their task at hand. The party of seven walked up a set of stairs, as they searched for hidden, blocked off corridors, opening their path whenever they found them. The group made their way to the main room, the smell of wolfsbane leading them. Soon they came upon a lone nun who was surrounded by lit candles. Her face surrounded in darkness making her appearance impossible to decipher.

"Who are you?" she wheezed.

The leader took a step forward and removed his hood, revealing his face. He had the appearance of a seasoned warrior. His hair once bright blonde was now grey, matching the beard and mustache near his mouth. Across his face two scars were present, one laid on the bridge of his nose. While the other sat over his right eye, rendering it permanently closed. With his single keen eye stared at her like an eagle sizing up his prey.

"I am Climb," He announced in a gruff tone. "Commander of the protectorate, Stalwart defender of humanity."

"Thee Climb, the faithful dog of Princess Renner. I'm honored to be in the presence of greatness," she said sarcastically. The woman laughed for a second before her tone got serious."What do you want?

"My companions and I seek a means to end the lords of darkness reign," He proclaimed as he sauntered around the nun, his blue eye trained on the woman. "We've done all we could, if we were to fight them now we'll surely perish."

"And?" Was all she said, staring into his eye with arms crossed. Climb stood dumbfounded by her blunt response. While his companions looked at one another in confusion.

" What do you mean and,?" Climb replied."Humanity is on the brink of extinction, and," He paused as a growl escaped his throat. "They took everything from me!"

"So its revenge you want?"

"No," he answered. "It's my duty as-"

"Just drop the moral posturing, we all know there's no altruism in this hunt. Your sheer tenacity to get back at them brought you here," The nun fired back."There's no dishonor in it Climb. Revenge is motivation enough at least its honest."

The commander of the protectorate remained silent. Just before he spoke Climb paused again. He thought about what he was going to say and reframed from speaking. Then he shook his head and laughed.

"Honestly...yes it's about revenge," He murmured as he clenched his fist tight. "I want to be the one to personally run my blade through those monsters, a day doesn't go by when I don't think about inflicting an unspeakable amount of pain upon them for the graveyards they filled, the thousands who suffered and the friends they crippled."

"Good," she said in an amused tone. "Here's the deal you tell me the story of these lords of darkness and I'll tell you my version of it."

"What is the purpose of telling a story of the past,?" He asked. "We should be focusing on the present."

The woman sign before speaking. " Where I'm from theirs a famous saying there are three sides to every story your side, my side, and the truth."

"So you want to find the truth?" Climb said in confusion.

"Only through the truth can you find what you need to defeat them," the nun uttered. " You do want to defeat them, yes?'

Climb closed his eye and took a deep breath. If he was the old him he would've threatened the woman or simply walk away but he was desperate for help. If he had to sit down and exchange stories with her to have his vengeance the so be it. He opened his eye, giving her his full attention.

 _Those were dark times for the human race. Monsters, demons, and even other humans preyed upon humanity. Many were filled with somberness and despair but in our most desperate hour four elite adventures rose up to defend us. Remus, a quick-witted marksman who garnered the admiration of all those meets, gaining the respect of nobles despite being born a commoner. Then there was Abel, an old bitter mercenary who traveled the lands protecting the innocent from harm and taking the fight to the enemies doorstep. Next was Azreal, a zealous cleric who dealt justice to those who were unworthy of redemption, forcing them to face the consequences of their sinful existences. And finally the mysterious Aeon, who sought the right the wrongs of his unfair world, choosing to suffer the predations of monsters so that others may be free._ _These four fought the forces of darkness that plagued the land, sending them back whence they came. These dedicated warriors became the beacon of hope people prayed for._

 _In the forest, the adventures guild discovered a tomb that was the source of much of the veil covering the land. It was believed to be own by Jaldabaoth, a cruel and powerful devil who sought to conquer the world. Many adventures entered the castle and died within its walls never being able to produce a full map of the tomb. At one point Jaldabaoth summoned a demon known only as the forbidden one, a Fiend so powerful that he lost control of it, accidentally unleashing it into the world causing massive destruction. The power of the demon was so intense that even supreme beings feared it._

 _The four confronted the forbidden one directly. After a grueling battle, they realized they were no match for it. Unable to kill the creature outright they looked for a way to send it back to where it came. The heroes led it back to the tomb and reopened the portal the forbidden one appeared from. With everything they had the adventures forced it back inside. Sealing it close with a powerful spell. They banished the demon but at the cost of their lives. The people mourn the loss of the four great heroes, forever immortalizing them in our hearts and minds. With their sacrifice, the balance of power was shifted in humanities favor, or so we thought. On one fateful day, four dark entities emerged from the tomb of Nazarick. They secured control of the land, sharing power by laying claim over a region._

 _The first to reveal itself was a ferocious wolf-like beast, its eyes a piercing yellow and fur that glimmered like the full moon. The beast moved with such speed that it seemed like a blur, a great wind moving over the fields. Upon the beast back sat a wolf that masqueraded as a man. In his hand, he held a weapon with the power of thousands of arrows. With each used the sound thunder echoed across the sky. Resting on his head was a broken crown, the same crown that once belonged to king Ranpossa the third of Re-Estate kingdom. A warning to all those who wish to challenge his right to conquer._

 _Before we knew it another had risen. This one was a large bat-like monster shrouded in fire and smoke. Its fangs were permanently stained by the blood of its enemies. Although the sight of the creature was clouded, the monster relied on its large ears and horned nose to hunt. Anywhere this creature traveled ruin was left in its wake. The one who dominated the monster was a creature that wore the face of a man. He spoke of peace but only brought about unnecessary bloodshed, forcing men to slay one another. Clenched in his fist was a mighty sword engulfed in flames. This blade will forever be known for beheading the Bloody Emperor._

 _The next creature to appear a pitch black steed of otherworldly origin. Noxious blue fumes made up the creature's mane and tail. It galloped with an aura of superiority, that would strike fear in the heart of any man. Were ever it ventured too famine followed, crops, livestock and even rivers weren't safe._ _The steed was mounted by a devil who portrayed himself as an angel. In his hand he carried a banner, on its canvas was a pair of scales. To this day his banner flew high in the capital of the Argland council state._

 _The last one to appear was a pale skeletal horse. Glowing green vapors emanated from the steeds core. With each step it took the wales of the damned could be heard. The creature who sat on it was the walking embodiment of death, a lich of unparallel horror. In his possession was his massive scythe, which he used to reap the souls on the Cardinals who didn't submit._

 _Its widely believed that the four great heroes noble sacrifice caused their spirits to ascended to the heavens as immortal beings, second only to the gods themselves. While their mortal remains took on the form of these evil creatures. Becoming the same monsters they had fought against in their lifetime. Some sort of karmic irony or it was the world balancing the scales. Another belief that circled around was that these supreme beings were behind everything since the beginning, and were waiting for the shadows until the human race were defenseless._

 _These dark gods claimed that they were doing this for our own good, but that was a lie. Like all beings, they wanted to be worshipped, placed on a pedestal for everyone to see. They were vain, petty and mean. Sadistic abnormalities who spread their evil throughout the land. This came full circle when a severe disagreement amongst the supreme beings led to a schism between the denizens of Nazarick. As their final decision as a council, they agreed to seal the tomb. Preventing anyone from accessing the monument. After that, they went their separate ways with their respective followers. Thus an uneasy alliance between was formed, with the only thing keeping them from raging war on each other is mutually assured destruction._

 _The supreme being Necross, became the lord of the necromancers, establishing his domain in the south. His presence brought about the awareness of death to the people of the slane Theocracy. This caused existential anxiety within them which led them to cease the worship of the Six Great Gods in favor of their new overlord. Those who seek to control the power of the deceased had to pay a price. Necross only shared a small portion of his power with his followers, who sacrificed themselves in a ritual. Once dead, they become his vassals. Devoted enforces of his unholy powers._

 _The beastly Romulus, lord of the lycanthrope made his home around the remnants of the Re-Estize kingdom. Ruling the fearful population through his lieutenants who see him as a savior, a visionary but he's subjugation personified far as I'm concerned. His Lycan children spread virulent diseases all over the region. Those who bodies accept the gift become apart of the pack. Those Who didn't turn suffered an agonizing end, separating the wheat from the chaff, he called it._

 _Then there was Caine the lord of the vampires. Who took up residence in the imperial palace. To prevent an insurrection of any kind he pitted the various Baharuthan factions against one another through control and fear. The group that proved themselves to him would join his ranks of vampire fledglings. While those who proved to be unworthy were sent to live the rest of their days as cattle in his blood farms._

 _Mephisto lord of the demons seized the Argland council state for his own. The self-proclaimed law-giver, using intimidation to break his enemies physically, mentally and any other way he can. Under his rule, the class gap between the rich and poor was even more apparent. The price of grain was about ten times normal, with an entire day's wages buying enough food for only one person. While the price of the oil and wine supplies remained unaffected. The only way to prosper was to sell your soul to Mephisto by signing one of his binding contracts._

 _With the Adventures guild dismantled a new organization arose. The Protectorate, an order of warriors to act as humanity's protectors against the darkness. Born of the coalition between the remaining human settlements in the region. We recruited the fiercest warriors and fought with imbued weaponry and mystical relics. We frequently tried to destroy them but no one ever returned alive. The dark times had indeed. Times without hope. The faithful claim that this is a test from the gods, to strengthen our vitality. Perhaps this is true, or perhaps it is a lie. If it is true, darkness has come to engulf humanity, and we are witnessing the end of mankind._

Climb to a deep breath."There I told you my side of the story, now tell me yours."

The nun stood up from her position and peered forward. Her brightly color eyes were now visible. "To combat these monsters, you have to remember all the stories. Remember the legends. You must do more than stoop to their level. She began to levitate in the air. "They are more than their actions. For you to understand your enemies you must know their past. Only then can you defeat them. I tell you this not because I believe in you but because you have it where it counts just like they did many moons ago in a distant world."

* * *

 **A/N: That's it for now folks. I believe this was a good note to start this story on. The following chapters will introduce our four protagonist and their humble beings before coming to the new world. FYI the tone between the game and the new world will be completely different. The game would be a lot more light-hearted compared to the grittiness of the new world.**


	2. These are my friends now

**Updated 03/26/2019**

These are my friends now

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2126 the DMMO-RPG called YGGDRASIL, arrived on store shelves worldwide. A revolutionary RPG in the gaming industry. It was a massive open world exploration game with the main selling point being player freedom. The amount of freedom the players had to customize and play the game was too many to count. Like the name suggest the game was based off the world tree from Norse mythology. There were nine realms to traverse each of them were approximately three times the size of Tokyo. In any world, be it Muspelheim, Vanaheimr or Niflheim things became more dangerous the further one went from the center of the world. From wandering, monsters to the very terrain itself became a hazard.

Grenbera Swamp was a depressing and unforgiving place. A wetland area in Helheim, home to several hamlets of Tuvegs and other poisonous creatures. Toxic fogs filled the deep and dark stretches of the foreboding swampland. The rolling, stale blanket of white carpeted the trees so badly it was impossible to see beyond a few feet. Regarded as one of the most hazardous areas to traverse, very few players ever come to Grenbera Swamp unless they have a very good reason to. A party of four wayward adventures crossed the darkly lit environment with muddy water up to their knees.

Although they weren't an official guild the group was known as the four horsemen. Named after The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse from Christian eschatology. A tight-knit unit of Heteromorphs, each a formable player in their own right. They ventured the nine realms selling their talents for the highest bitter.

Occupying the front of the formation was Romulus, a level 83 lycanthrope ranger. Consider the "normal" one of the horsemen, Romulus joined when he crossed paths with the trio in the badlands of Midgard. Originally he joined for questionable reasons, but he came to grow fond of his teammates finding a place where he belonged.

Romulus wore leather armor of form-fitting design with gleaming steel that shielded his vitals. His sleek appearance was broken by the pelt of a white wolf that rested on the pauldron and around his neck. Black shaggy hair sat atop the lycanthropes head. Three pale scars rested on his face like a badge of honor.

Across his back rested Punisher, an ingeniously designed crossbow that can fire in rapid succession without reloading. On his right hip was Damnation, a bayonet with a finger loop at the bottom. The knife itself resemble equal part trench, buck, and kukri, reflecting his need for utility. Both weapons he received in two separate raids he helped orchestrate and took part in.

By far the largest member of the group was Caine, a level 85 vampire warrior. He marched through the dense foliage like a juggernaut. Besides his long Silver hair, pale skin and red eyes he could easily be mistaken for a human. Yet rarely could humanity produce a being of immense and blatant strength. Thick angular plates of iron edged in copper forged into armor large enough to crush a weaker wearer. Draped across his shoulders was a cloak that burned red as the wrath inside him.

Held across his back was a sword as infamous as himself. The leather-wrapped hilt hovered above his left shoulder while the blades point reached his Achilles. Sineater, a powerful blade that he carried on every quest. A reward he won in a public PVP tournament, where he displayed his talent as an exceptional duelist.

The heart of the horsemen. Caine was an avid gamer, who streamed his let's play and walkthroughs for all to see. He usually provided knowledge of Yggdrasil lore to compliments Necross's role-playing knowledge when figuring out how to deal with enemies and give insight to his teammates.

Next was the level 82 fallen angel sorcerer, Mephisto. The face of the horseman who founded the group alongside Necross and Caine. Mephisto cared less about the pursuit of adventure and more on making a profit. As their designated spokesman he's generally the one who decided whether or not they take the quest.

His eyes gleamed bright but framed in black tattooing, were narrowed in contemplation. Skin tanned, paler than Romulus but also far smoother, stood in contrast with bluish-white hair that danced around like a living flame. He wore a high collared leather armor with long black vestments. Beyond these, the only other thing to stand out was the gold trim and piping along his armors edges. Two pitch-black wings rested upon his shoulder blades signifying his angelic origin.

His most prized possession was Admiration, a powerful staff he found in a random loot drop from a roaming event boss. It dramatically boosts his mana regeneration. Allowing him to leech mana from enemies with each attack. Passive bonus includes boost magic damage and additional mana boost on for each kill.

The last of the quartet trailed behind the rest. Necross An level 87 overlord necromancer with a wiry frame. His gaping sockets were eyes of burning emerald glammed unblinking. His hood, black as the night sky hung to his shoulders. Below, it stained and tattered violet streamers of fabric that trailed from the back of his belt. The dark green dragon scales he wore from the waist down and around his arms appeared grimy and unkempt.

In his hand was his signature weapon Reaper, an enormous scythe standing taller than its wielder. Its blade was a hideous thing, jagged and shaped like the talon of a great beast, longer than Necross's outstretched arms. Unlike the other horseman, Reaper was handcrafted by him. He Spent countless hours farming for the perfect materials to forge the scythe.

The brains of the team who enchanted all of horsemen gear. Overly analytical, arrogant and sarcastic. Necross usually came off as more cold and distant than he actually was.

They all trek the marsh with a purpose all except for Mephisto whos stride began to gradually decrease to the point he was only two steps ahead of Necross. His action puzzled the necromancer. He couldn't have been poisoned they were wearing greater necklaces of poison immunity.

"Keep moving. It should be up ahead," he said plainly.

"Great. We can't die a slow death while looking for this mysterious dungeon," replied the fallen angel "Whose idea was this anyway?"

The others spoke in unison. "Yours,"

Mephisto conjured his menu and accessed his messages. He opened the anonymous message that was forwarded to all of them.

 _To Conquest31. Warblade, Famine123, Death4life._

 _You do not know me but I know you. The four of you stood victorious at giants fall but you have mistaken your belief that you won. You all will come to learn we are a force to be reckoned with. That is why we issue you, horsemen, a challenge Go to the tomb deep in the Grenbera Swamp. If you can best the dungeon all that you find will be yours. To ensure you're cooperation each of you should receive 30 gold coins each as a downpayment. Come to the great tomb, come face your destiny._

"Oh yeah. Now I remember," the fallen angel whispered as he took another step. "I hate this place."

"What's the matter sunshine?" Uttered Necross. "The last dungeon in Svartalfheim was worst than this."

"Yes, fighting dark elves in darkness blows but going through this swamp just to find the tomb is a whole nother level of crap," He explained.

"I'm with him on this one this place sucks," Romulus interjected. "Should've taken the money and ran."

"And stain our honor hell no," Caine countered."These guys calling us out. it's only right that we reply back."

With one final step, they cleared the trees and came out onto a flat surface. Before the four stood the opening of a great tomb. It was a marble sculpted entrance, with pillars of white maintaining the roof of the great mausoleum. Around the vicinity was many gravestones of different shapes size, some broken, and some not.

"Wow," the sorcerer said in awe,

"This must be the place," stated the necromancer.

Romulus took a knee and activated **[sky** **eye]** , a skill that allowed him to observe a scene from afar within two kilometers. The lycanthrope scanned everything he could see with his eyes for telltale signs of danger. It was his role to act as the eyes and ears within the party. To make sure they don't wander blindly into a trap. Unfortunately for them, this entire quest was a trap from the very beginning.

"Well, boys, I got good news and bad news," said the ranger.

"What's the bad news?" Caine asked.

"Its a trap," he replied.

"And the good news?"

"It most likely won't activate until we reach about halfway there."

Necross analyzed the environment taking in every detail he could. Though it was open, it did its best to ward off invaders, with its eerie solitude. The sunlight barely made it a few meters past the entrance, leaving the rest of the chamber beyond in total darkness. He turned to Caine. "Undead, zombies, and skeletons."

The warrior shook his head in confirmation." Death spirits and vampires?"

"Death spirits yes, vampires unlikely," he answered. "Lich?"

Caine remained silent for a minute before answering. "Elder Lich."

Unable to take any more of this the sorcerer step between the two, interrupting their conversation. " Undead that's what we're going to fight, yes?"

"Yeah," the vampire replied.

"Good, now that we know what we're up against let's go," Mephisto insisted As he impatiently walked towards the tomb.

They watched him for a second before following him one by one. The warrior placed his hand over the hilt of Sin-eater while following close behind the spellcaster. Next was the necromancer who held his weapon close. In the rear, the ranger drew his crossbow and covered their six.

The four horsemen broke through the cover of the wicked forest and through the graveyard. Their movements were yet to be impeded, and there was no sign of enemies or defenses at the moment. But when they were just a few yards away from the entrance they stopped. Then Skeletons rose from beneath the ground, crawling out of the soil. Their ranks consisted of undead warriors armed with rusty weaponry.

Necross walked forward until he stood between the horsemen and skeleton horde. He quickly glanced to his comrades. "I got this," he proclaimed. As he lifted his hand into the air. **[Control undead]**. Nothing happened. An awkward silence filled the air.

"Did it work?" the ranger inquired. Just then the skeletons charged the horsemen branding their degraded weapons.

"Well, here we go," Caine drew Sin-eater, the blade hit the ground with an audible sound. He charged the oncoming force as he dragged the sword on the floor. Romulus aimed his crossbow and Mephisto's body radiated holy energy. Then the two sides clashed. With his dark arts possible unless against them Necross began to dispatch the undead with Reaper. Each slice from the weapon finished the skeletons with little to no effort. After what seemed like a minute the graveyard became quiet again. Not a single undead warrior was left standing as all their bones and flesh were left scattered over the floor.

Before they could claim victory reinforcements arrived this time they were accompanied by Death Knights covering their sides. Death knights were level 35 undead summons who stood at 2 meters tall with a crooked body. their armor had sharp thorns everywhere, resembling an incarnation of violence. Two demonic horns protruded from their helmet, with their face being visible underneath. It was a disgusting, rotten face whose empty eye sockets were filled with hate and killing intent, glowing with a flashing red light. In their left hand was a massive Tower Shield that covers three-fourths of their body. Whereas in their right hand, was a serrated sword. The sword was nearly one hundred and thirty centimeters long and coated with waves of terrifying red and black fog, agitating observers from nearby surrounding like a constant heartbeat.

"We got company," said the lycanthrope as he opened fire. He was providing long-range support to his comrades. Everything was going as expected until he notices a large shadow behind him. He turned around to see A death knight lifted its sword and attempted to attack him. With ease, he jumped out of the way. Then another death knight appeared, they moved in on the ranger at once and swung their swords at him. He deftly moved out of the way of the Death Knights. Their attacks barely miss him each time.

As he retreated, the horseman lost his balance and tripped over a damaged gravestone. Before he could gather himself both death knights lifted their swords high in the air.

 **[Force field]** the death knights slammed their blade down but stopped in mid-air. The attack was stopped by a translucent barrier of energy. Romulus looked over to see Mephisto holding his staff upright.

"Dam bro, they caught you slacking huh?" joked the sorcerer.

The Knights continued to beat down the barrier until it cracked but it gave the ranger time to fall back and maintain his distance. He readied Punisher and fired a volley of arrows that dispatched the two death knights.

"That's why I keep you guys around," he acknowledged in a joking manner.

Caine and Necross stood side by side as another horde of undead approaching. The Necromancer faced his vampire friend.

"Okay, here's the-" before he could finish his sentence the hulking warrior ran off to meet the enemies head-on.

"No need for a plan here bro," said Caine. **[Pyro wall]** He leaped into the air and plunged his blade into the earth. A wave of fire emerged, scorching the horde of skeletons.

The overlord let out a brief sigh before clutching his scythe tight. He swung and slashed the nearby zombie into pieces. Then he ducked under a slash from a death knight, with Reaper he impaled the death knight in the chest.

From the corner of his eye, he spotted an orange light radiating in the sky. He looked up and saw a huge fireball was incoming.

"Incoming!" he yelled for the others to hear.

The horsemen quickly split up. Each of them jumped and took cover behind whatever they could find. The ball of fire hit a few feet away from them. Necross looked up to see where it came from. There he saw an Elder lich adored in an old and luxurious robe that covered its body of rotting skins and bones. It wields a twisted staff adorned with gems on its end. Beneath its rotting exterior lied a pair of evil eyes brimming with intelligence. It was shrouded in an aura of negative energy that covered its body like a thin fog, giving off a menacing atmosphere. He looked over at the team's resident marksman, who took cover behind a statue.

"Elder Lich"

Without saying a single word Romulus nods as he sticks an arm out and catches one of the zombies in the chest with Damnation. He then runs, jump and dives and gets another in the throat. He rolls stands without stopping, he drew two silver daggers and throws them at two separate zombies. The lycanthrope equipped Punisher and fired at the incoming undead. He jumps and scaled a marble pillar. As he reached the top he scanned the field for his target.

"Gotcha," he whispered. He loaded a silver arrow into his crossbow. Locked and loaded the ranger lined up his shot. "Now smile for me." He pulled the trigger and the arrow flew high in the air before it landed in the face of the Elder lich.

With the caster down the other three rushed out of cover to engage the undead horde. Caine swung Sin-eater like a lunatic as he racked up an impressive body count. It was as if they were lining up to be slaughtered.

The angel and the overlord stood back to back as they were surrounded on all sides. A skeleton rush towards them. It goes to thrust its blade into Mephisto but he knocked it across the face with Admiration. Then he struck it with a downward strike. As two more rush him the sorcerer placed his hand on the undead's chest.

 **[Infestation]** , Mephisto magically injected the skeleton warrior with bugs and maggots that continued to inflict damage on the host. Then pushed the undead away from him. Then it exploded killing the closest ones but knocking the other ones down.

The overlord noticed the display and wasn't impressed. He slashed an undead in the abdomen, then decapitated it. He stood ready full of confidence. An undead tried to strike, but he dodges and countered.

The sorcerer looked and chuckled. "Come on you can do better than that."

Necross took the comment in stride but apart of it register on an emotional level. He raised his skeletal hand and his scythe into the air. **[Murder]** Necross summoned an enormous flock of crows that swarmed all the remaining enemies on the field. The murder swept through the graveyard devouring the undead. When it was all said and done he stood victorious. Then as a group, everyone gathered around the necromancer.

"No, kill like overkill huh," Romulus jested.

"Is that it?" The black-clad sorcerer asked.

Then in the distance, the four heard a horn blown, followed by a fierce roar. They all took a battle stance as they waited for their next opponent. Caine looked up to see a Skeletal dragon inbound but on closer inspection, he noticed it was different.

"Elder Skeletal dragon coming through," he yelled.

A more powerful version of the undead being that also mimicked the shape of a dragon. Composed of countless human bones with an overall height up to three meters tall. Formed from bones with a rib cage devoid of organs nor flesh. Its head contains four hollow eye sockets, each with a crimson glow. The jaw of the skull was alined with sharp teeth along with a pair of bat-like wings attached to its shoulders and four limbs.

"Yessss," Necross hissed with excitement.

"Remember bros this thing nullifies any magic up to tier 6," said the vampire. As he reminisced on their last encounter with one. "And no negative spells this thing can heal itself with those."

"I heard ya," the sorcerer replied.

"The same maneuver as last time?" the lycanthrope asked.

"Yup," the Overlord said.

Without any more words to exchange the horsemen split up to their designated positions. Romulus found a spot on another pillar where he could provide overwatch. Necross found his spot on the far right of the field. Mephisto took up a position in the rear were he began charging his spell. Lastly, Caine just stood there as the dragon landed in front of him.

"Bring it," he taunted.

The undead dragon replied with a lunge but Caine spun to the side and delivered a downward strike. Although it negates any damage from piercing weapons Sin-eater wasn't an ordinary weapon. Thanks to Necross the blade was enchanted with fire runes, allowing it to deal fire damage. Which in this circumstance was beneficial due to undead's taking double damage by fire. Which he couldn't help but chuckle at the irony.

As the vampire warrior provides agro for the party, Romulus once again sought through his vast inventory. Once he found what he was looking for he equipped the item. In his possession were a bunch of flaskes. At first glance, these flasks appear to be empty. However, upon closer inspection, a few drops of blessed water was at the bottom. Said to be the tears of the twelve saints, making them an excellent weapon against creatures of the night. Oh, the irony he thought to himself.

The lycanthrope tossed the flasks at the wings of the skeletal creature. The bottles explode with holy flame upon impact causing devastating damage to its HP. With its tail, the Elder Skeleton dragon swat the top of the pillar, luckily he saw this early and jump off just as it happened. With it distracted Caine ran towards the dragon, jumped and plunged Sin-eater into the creature's body. As he fell to the ground on his feet, the dragon roared.

It was Mephisto turn to strike as his 7th tier spell was near completion but then the dragon saw him. Just as it lunged towards him he unleashed the spell. **[Storm of the ages]** a blast of Fire, ice, and lightning flew down the dragon's throat and burst out of its hollow body. Its boney wings were too damage for it to take flight, keeping it grounded. Too weak to fight back, it fell to the floor.

As the skeleton dragon lied on the floor helpless Necross walked towards the head and looked at it. He lifted Reaper above his head. Then he drove the scythe into the skull of the beast. Then energy ran up the weapon, and into his body, adding its soul into his collection.

"Talk about poetry in motion," said the fallen angel. "That thing didn't stand a dam chance, we straight up murdered it."

"Word, that felt unfair as hell," the lycanthrope added.

"It stood its ground and fought valiantly," Caine interjected. The towering figure walked up to the dragon's corpse and placed his hand on it. "Earning a warriors death."

The trio watched him show respect to their defeated foe. Out of all of them, Caine was the most honorable of the four. He dislikes winning through underhanded or dishonorable means. The vampire despised using stealthy means to achieve victory, preferring open conflict to deception or subtlety and especially the idea of assassination.

Necross broke the silence. " How about we get ready before entering the dungeon this time," he said with a dry wit.

"You never going to let that go huh," Mephisto fired back.

"Excuse me, I'm not the one who forgot to bring the revives."

"In my defense, I was distracted," he replied with his hand up. "She sent me a message I had to reply."

"Oh, so that's your excuse huh," the necromancer took a step forward. "But when I make a mistake you all gang up on me."

"Woah, zero!" said Romulus. Caine and himself stepped between the two horsemen. "This is getting out of hand, let's calm down before this escalates any further."

"Listen we all messed up before, we're all human here," the vampire warrior said in a calming voice. "We all bros here man, we can't let this stuff come between us."

"True, but I not apologizing to him and I wouldn't accept one in return, either." the angel quipped.

The towering warrior threw his arms out in disbelief."Mephisto, your one of us why are..."

"Yeah it was inexcusable I agree and its gonna make what I have to say all the more absurd but I'm gonna say it anyway," The black-robed sorcerer took a position in front of the other three. "We're not just a team nor are we a guild were more than that. We are a brotherhood, and I think its time we start acting like one..."

The lycanthrope interrupted "Whoa, whoa wait is this related to RL?"

"Yes, it's about RL. We've clocked in hours in this game. Doing quests and what not, I spend more time around you guys than my own family but we barely know anything about each other outside of this."

"Where are you going with this?" Necross whispered.

"The point is we need to share our RL with one another," The angel clarified.

"Goddammit," Romulus grunted.

"I'll go first, my name is Vincent Davidson and I'm a graphic designer." Mephisto proclaimed proudly.

Caine took came forward. "My name is Alexander Garcia, and I stream video games mainly Yggdrasil."

The last two looked at each other, neither one wanted to open up. After a few seconds, Romulus shook his head and took a stand. "I'm Sergeant Richard Stevens of the United States Marine Corps." He said reluctantly.

The vampire leaned forward "Wait, you're in the military?"

"Yup, and no I don't want to talk about it," he said dismissively. He shifted his attention to the last horseman. "Well, any time now."

The skeletal figure finally stepped forward with the rest of them. He remained silent and unmoving. Then he started to pace around them, unable to stand still. Romulus raised an eyebrow at what he was seeing. He glanced at the other two to see if they were just as lost as he was but they weren't. This action wasn't new to Mephisto and Caine they've seen him do this in times when he felt uncomfortable. Just then he halted his movement and faced them.

"My name is Hudson Jonas, I'm currently a cab driver, there I said it" He crossed his arms. "Let's just get this over with."

"Sure thing Hudson," Joked the vampire warrior.

"No problem, Alexander," He replied. They all burst into laughter as they were now on a first name basis.

After checking their equipment one last time, the four horsemen were ready to face the tomb. They would take on its challenges, earn some exp and retrieve some loot.

"Caine? Any inspirational words before we enter the tomb?" asked the ranger.

"Though I walk, through the valley of the shadow of death..."

"Okay, I didn't expect you to get all Biblical on us,"

"Are we not the four horsemen, agents of the apocalypse?" he remarked.

"Yeah but..." he paused as he let the comment sink in. "Screw it lets just go with that, amen"

The four quickly hurried into the entrance, positioning in the rear was Necross to cover their flank. Caine placed himself in front of the necromancer the brunt of any attack. While Mephisto took a position in the middle, as Romulus scouts ahead. In this way, they passed through darkened chambers and passageways. Judging by the downward slope and the stairs they had to pass, they were going deeper underground. Just how far did this tomb reach.

* * *

 **A/N: Here are our four mains everybody. What lies within this mysterious tomb? find out in the next chapter.**


	3. Way down we go

Way down we go

* * *

The four traversed deeper inside the tomb, remaining in their formation as they marched through a narrow hallway. Although dark and foreboding, the horsemen ventured on in defiance. Mounted on the stonewalls they noticed flags with a strange crest decorating the canvas but they paid it no mind. The party looked around the silent hallway with caution, hoping nothing would jump out and attack them.

Necross reminisce on one of their previous adventures. In an underground fortress in Alfheimr, they encountered Sharlocks. The sharlocks were lithe dark elves who specialize in assassination techniques. These elves had the ability to fade from view, rendering themselves completely invisible. Even perceptive players were unable to detect their presence. They would remain unseen until the right moment to strike. When the opportunity presented themselves the dark elves would leap towards their prey, launching their blades into their victim head scoring a killing blow. Although he was immune to critical hits the thought of an enemy that could one-shot players bothered him dearly.

The horsemen came across a flight of stairs that led further down into the tomb. Right on cue, Romulus gave his companions the sign to halt. Like clockwork, they heed his advice without a second thought. Then he gestured to them in silence telling them to move away from him. The other three slowly backed off, in case an area of effect trap activates. He approached the steps and began to inspect it. The ranger checked very carefully, it was time-consuming but it was better to be safe than sorry. Unlike the rest of the group, he was the type of person to tap a stone bridge to test its integrity before crossing it.

Although he didn't know him too well as he should Caine didn't fully trust the lycanthrope. He was brave and skilled, but there was little kindness in him and questionable loyalty. The ranger once prowled Midgards wilderness and wastelands, making his own luck by bending the rules to suit his interests. A bandit that was willing to kill more or less anyone for the right price, well at least not anymore. When he first met Romulus he was an unscrupulous loner, willing to kill or steal for the right price. They saved him from the clan, the Red Templars. Apparently, he tried to steal their only world class item. When the Red templars cornered him he fended them off but their superior numbers brought him to his knees.

After thoroughly examining the stairs Romulus took the first step. He placed his left foot on the first step on the downward staircase. Then the lycanthrope turned to his companions and gave them a thumbs up. With the tension lifted the four resumed their quest.

"Alright boys, we get in fuck shit up and get out," said the lycanthrope

"Is that a motto or a lifestyle choice?" Necross questioned.

"Both," he replied with a chuckle.

The necromancer let out an audible sigh at the rangers joke. Although he didn't fully mind vulgar language Necross still found Romulus crude sense of humor off-putting. Even though he's no comedian himself, the hooded skeleton preferred witty remarks over lowbrow comments.

The horsemen continued down the spiral staircase. Mephisto was getting a sinking feeling in his gut as they progressed farther. The path was taking them deeper into the tomb itself and he couldn't shake the feeling they were being watched. Their bodies anticipating conflict at any moment. At the forefront of the formation, Romulus cease advancing the second he heard another group of footsteps approaching. Before he could utter a single word, an ax came flying out of the darkness. The weapon was heading straight for him. With his evasion ability, the ranger was capable of dodging the attack but doing so would allow Mephisto to take damage instead of him. Then the rusted ax made contact with the lycanthropes chest. His body was pushed back a few inches closing the gap between him and the sorcerer.

"Oh, Shit!" The fallen angel yelled in surprised.

"Bro, you alright?" asked the vampire warrior.

Before he could reply a horde of undead warriors ran up the stairs towards the horsemen. With Punisher in hand, Romulus knocked the first undead off the stairs and into the abyss. Then he thrust his crossbow into the torso of the next one.[Lancer shot], Romulus fired a powerful shot that ripped through the undead warrior and every enemy along its path, doing bonus damage for each extra target it hit. The ranger looked ahead and saw reinforcements, so he swerved his head and yelled.

"Caine, a little help!"

Mephisto stepped aside to make way for the hulking brute. The vampire warrior grabbed an undead and threw it off, then ran Sin-eater through another. As he pulled it out the undead fell on its knees, and Caine sliced it in half. The warrior then ran to the incoming group and used his sword as a board to push them off the edge. With only one left, he kicked it off, as the group watched him in amazement. He looked back at them with his sword resting on his shoulder.

"What?" he said to his teammates who were dumbfounded by his performance.

The sorcerer shook his head."Nothing, just remind me not to piss you off."

The group continued to descend the stairs until they reached the next floor. They entered the first floor of the tomb, a subterranean burial chamber. The catacombs walls had closed coffins protruding from them. There was dead silence surrounding the horsemen, not a sign of life they could feel or see.

"Great another graveyard," the necromancer whispered to himself.

"Now that you mention it, I think we should've searched the first graveyard," said the fallen angel.

"Word," Caine uttered in agreement. "We might have missed the chance to discover some loot."

"Granted those enemies weren't high levels, thus collecting the loot would've been trivial," Necross shot back. His nitpicky personality tends to cause the horsemen to miss several chances for gain but Necross would never put them in a dangerous situation he couldn't get them out of. So everyone trusted his judgment even when he came off like an arrogant bastard.

Romulus chimed in."Every little bit helps."

"Didn't you guys notice the graveyard at all, how it was a bit too neat and tidy as if someone is maintaining it?" The Necromancer said as he paced back and forth. "Personally, I don't like this job, things aren't adding up."

After hearing him grumble the fallen angel lightly spoke, "Hudson, stop being paranoid we'll be fine, besides were all voted to come here."

"We're here because, you were able to persuade those two," With his skeletal hand, he motions towards the vampire and lycanthrope. "Appealing to his morals and his sense of adventure."

As if they both rehearsed the routine, Caine and Romulus crossed their arms simultaneously. They glanced at one another before shifting their attention to the necromancer.

"Whoa whoa, whoa are you trying to say?" asked the vampire warrior.

Necross chocked his head back as if he didn't understand the question. "What do you mean, I said it."

"Huh?" Romulus muttered in confusion.

"Come on guys, let's not start this again," Mephisto interjected."This quest should lead us to honor glory and..," at the corner of his eyes he spotted a well-hidden his avatar could emote his real face broke into a smile. "What do we have here."

He retreated from the group to retrieve the treasure chest. With no lock present, he simply opened it up. The contents reflected the light, emitting a blinding sparkle. Inside were various gemstones and hundred of silver coins.

"I'll be taking this," he said as he reached in and pulled out the valuables. Once he stored them in his inventory Mephisto looked up to see the others staring at him. "Don't worry guys all this will go to a good cause."

Suddenly the whole room trembled as though an earthquake was taken place. The earth before them spit open undead showed themselves. That was when the coffins and stone tombs burst opened. What crawled out was Draugrs. Undead warriors used to guard buried treasure.

"Look alive we got Draugrs," Caine warned.

Necross began to assess the batch of enemies, so far they dealt with weaker opponents. Just one horseman could slay scores of them solo. However there was a problem, these Draugrs were different. They were dressed in grand breastplates with elaborate shields, they wielded all manner of weapons in addition to composite longbows on their backs. Undead outfitted with enchanted gear were far from ordinary. To top it off they were all level 70.

"Not your run of the mill undead huh," Mephisto quipped.

The necromancer shot the fallen angel a quick glance. "Shut up, Vincent"

"Alright, boys, this is where it gets serious!" The lycanthrope cried as he loaded fire arrows into his crossbow.

"Draugrs to the left!" Mephisto called out.[chain lighting] he unleashes a blast of lightning that bored straight through the first undead. Then the lighting arced to three nearby Draugrs. All four fell to the ground but the others behind them continued forward as though nothing happened.

Necross turned reaper on the Draugrs and unleashed several slashes from the scythe. Every swipe of the blade found its mark. Caine joined him with sin-eater, tearing through the horde of undead.

More Draugrs began to come from the right side Romulus unloaded a volley of fire arrows on the undead. There was a crackle to his left and he jumped back as two arrows cut through the air where he had been standing a moment ago. He looked up and saw a Draugar sniping from an elevated position. The ranger readjusted his aim and fired three arrows into the archer. Romulus turned to see a Draugr sneak up on the fallen angel.

"Mephisto, behind you" he yelled.

The sorcerer turned to see a hammer-wielding Draugr ready to strike. At this range, he was unable to cast a spell in time to defend himself. Just before the Draugrs hammer made contact, a series of arrows were embedded into the undead warrior. Then its body was engulfed in flames before falling to the ground. The spellcaster looked over to see Romulus lowering punisher.

"Caught you slacking huh?" joked the ranger.

"That's why I keep yall around," he replied with a chuckle.

Another deep rumble like before occurred and more Draugrs spawned. The four split up, taking separate positions in the catacomb. Things were only going to get rougher. The horsemen spent close to an hour in the crypt fending off the Draugar while their mana and stamina bars dwindled slowly. The horde of undead was determined to destroy the foreign invaders.

Sin-eater was constantly swung, ending the existence of a Dragur with each hit. Caine could feel himself breaking a sweat as he fought the endless undead army. He hadn't felt like this since the Muspelheim trials, where he fought a plethora of fire giants and a dragon by himself. Although he completed the challenge it wasn't done on his first try. The warrior glared at Necross who was occupied by two Draugr, unbeknownst to the necromancer another Draugr was approaching his flank. The vampire charged at the unsuspecting undead and saw that he built up momentum. He launched off his back foot and slammed his shoulder into the Dragur knocking it down to the floor. After dispatching his foes Necross turned around to see Caine impaling the downed enemy with his sword.

"I got your back bro," said the warrior.

Using his racial ability of flight Mephisto was able to soar through the air. This aerial vantage point allowed him to see multiple enemies, were their spawning as well as land destructive spells from above.

"Everyone get in the middle. they're gonna swarm us again." The fallen angel ordered.

"No need to tell me twice," Romulus called out as he fired punisher into the approaching masses. From the corner of his eye, he spotted a group of Draugrs approaching. The Lycanthrope vault into the air and unleash a volley of fire knives. The blades incinerated every undead it came in contacted with.

Once they all gathered and readied themselves for the oncoming onslaught. The Draugrs began to push harder as the horsemen pushed back even harder. They held their ground, not giving the undead horde the slightest chance of victory.

With his Taunt ability Caine caused all nearby enemies to focus on him. Since he had more hp and physical attack resistance than the others he was more than able to take all the heat. As the parties resident tank, it was his job to control the mob. While Caine is aggroing enemies towards him, Mephisto maintains his distance from the battle while nuking the undead with devastating spells.

Capable of high amounts of damage with minimal defenses, the fallen sorcerer held the role as the glass cannon. This required vincent to play more carefully. Prioritizing on placement and mobility to avoid being hit. Thanks to the angel skill tree he was able to gain enough mobility passives to help dodge incoming attacks once he got used to it. Mephisto would time his spells well, and help his team take out every enemy in sight. After clearing out a group of Draugrs, he spotted Romulus throwing an assortment of elemental flasks at the oncoming undead warriors, littering the battlefield with traps.

Despite being the lowest level, it's easy to dismiss the lycanthrope as the weakest member. Although he lacked overwhelming power, he made up for it with versatility. Being able to quickly adapt to combat situations on the fly allows Romulus to react to what the enemy has to offer. In addition, he excelled at medium range due to his average health, precision, and deep bag of tricks to draw from. Making him a wild card that can complement the team on any quest. After triggering his assortment of traps the surviving Draugrs were swiftly cut down by a scythe.

At last Necross, with most of his necromancer abilities unless he had to rely on getting up close and personal with enemies. Using skills from his underdeveloped Harbinger skill tree, which focused on enhancing his physical capabilities. With the higher level adds, the output value of enemy damage increased to the point that engaging them in close combat like Caine would be ill-advised. Since he was it a tight situation he had to make do with what he has. At his full potential, the necromancer was both incredibly self-reliant and an excellent supporting teammate.

The four were piling up experience points as more and more Draugrs were destroyed by them. From his vantage point, Mephisto briefly scanned around for a way out. In the back of the room, he saw a gate that glowed with energy.

"Guys I see an exit, but it a bit far thou," he muttered.

"It would do," Necross replied as he slated another Dragur.

"Is it time for the crazy train?" the vampire questioned.

"Its time," answered the spellcaster.

Caine giggled with excitement. "Alright, let's do this."

"Wait, what's a crazy train?" the lycanthrope asked.

"Don't worry just keep up," responded the hooded skeleton.

Mephisto nodded his head and faced the approaching undead horde. light began to illuminate from his avatar. It then focused into his hand as he slightly drew the arm back. [Smite] a powerful wave of holy energy that radiates out his body in a 360-degree arc. The spell disintegrated every Draugar in its path.

From his inventory, Caine deployed a massive shield. " All aboard!"

Ruination was a riot shield with a demon face engraved on its surface. With Ruination equipped the vampire made a mad dash for the gate. Any Draugrs that got in the way were knocked out of the way clearing a path for others to follow. Necross and Romulus tailed the charging juggernaut avoiding the stragglers he left behind in his wake. Mephisto remained the air, sniping any enemies that would attack the others from behind.

Like a freight train, Caine was an unstoppable force with no opposition. In less than a minute four made it from point A to point B. As soon as they were within range of the gate they broke off from one another and ran to in. Romulus arrived first, followed by Necross, then Mephisto and finally Caine. With their feet on the gate, they were taken away by a flash of light. The horsemen escaped the enemies of the first floor.

Deep inside the tomb, Several television monitors like objects floated before a group of heteromorph players. The monitors showed scenes of the four horsemen, scenes which their controller wanted the rest to see. In control of the monitors was Tabula Smaragdina, A humanoid creature with an octopus for a head.

"In order for this training exercises to be conducive, we need to learn something using from them to verify the effectiveness of our defense systems."

Punitto Moe, the guild's strategist. A huge plant creature that wore a white priest robe over his frame. "Impressive," he muttered out loud. "They made it through the first floor quicker than I expected."

"I've seen better," said Nishikienrai, the guilds resident ninja. He was half golem adorned in stereotypical black ninja outfit paired with a weird mask and two swords at his waist.

"A formable group players they are, especially that Caine guy," said Warrior Takemikazuchi.A Nephilim warrior wearing dark red samurai armor. "I wonder how far they will make it."

"They do work well together but it seems that they lack a healer amongst them," said Yamaiko, the guilds resident healer. A Nephilim spellcaster wearing yellow robes with red gauntlets. " I say they won't make it past the third floor.

"Dam right, they won't make it past Shalltear," said Peroroncino, The foremost archer in the guild. A white birdman with a head, wings, and talons of a bird.

"I don't know brother, they're tougher than they look," replied Bukubukuchagama, a large grotesque pink flesh monster.

"What do you think Mommunga?" askedHerohero, an Elder Black Ooze, a mass of a black, sticky substance.

"They`re all going to die," Mommunga answered in gloomy tones. He was deeply displeased to see these lowlifes enter Nazarick. The tomb their home, staining it with their presence.

"I agree Momo let's kill them," said Ulbert Alain Odle, strongest offensive spellcaster in the guild. His game avatar was a humanoid gray goat, dressed in a black suit with a velvet cape. "no, wait we can't just kill them normally, we must make them suffer."

"Alright alright, said gaining the attention of his fellow players. Touch Me, an insectoid paladin shining white armor He is also adorned with a reddish cape attached around his left shoulder. let us continue to monitor their progress. Besides, in the end, they will get what they deserve.


End file.
